The present disclosure relates to a beverage brewing apparatus and more particularly to systems and apparatus for brewing beverages.
A variety of brewing apparatus are available which employ a device for dispensing heated water over a quantity of beverage brewing substance. The beverage brewing substance is typically retained in a filter portion of a funnel. The filter portion allows a beverage to be drained from the beverage brewing substance infused with the heated water.
A variety of devices, for example, coffee brewers, perform the beverage brewing function as described herein above. Such brewers use a spray head to dispense or shower water in a spray pattern over the beverage brewing substance retained within the filter in the funnel. One aspect of the spray head that might be considered a problem is that the spray head typically produces a spray pattern. The spray pattern tends to concentrate the shower of water or wet only specific areas of the beverage brewing substance. If the spent coffee grounds in the funnel is inspected at the end of a beverage brewing cycle, one can see the spray pattern in the spent grounds. In other words, once all of the liquid has drained from the beverage brewing substance at the end of a brew cycle a spray pattern can be seen in the spent beverage brewing substance.
One of the problems that is encountered with such a spray head is that the saturation and infusion of the ground coffee may be inconsistent. The inconsistency results from the spray head producing a series of streams which are emitted through holes in the spray head. The streams tend to spray on a specific area of the beverage brewing substance. As a result, the area impacted by a specific stream may tend to be over saturated whereas the area spaced away from the impact point of the stream may be under saturated. As a result, the area that is over saturated may also result in over extraction from the beverage brewing substance. Similarly, the area which is under saturated will tend to result in an under extraction from such areas. While the amount of beverage brewing substance can be adjusted for a given quantity of beverage to be brewed, it would be desirable to optimize the extraction from all areas of the beverage brewing substance within the funnel.
Some prior art devices have attempted to overcome this extraction problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,035 employs a device for rotating the funnel about a central axis in order to attempt to cause the beverage brewing substance to move within the funnel. As such, this device tries to equalize the saturation of the beverage brewing substance within the funnel. One of the problems with this device is that it tends to be rather complicated and employs additional controllable and moving parts. For example, some form of driver must be provided in order to rotate the funnel. Such a driver may become contaminated with beverage brewing substance, water or residue from the brewing process. Additionally, since it is at the user interface, the funnel is engaged with the brewer by the user and may become damaged through wear and use.
The prior art devices tend to deliver heated water to the beverage brewing substance to saturate the beverage brewing substance. During the brewing cycle the beverage brewing substance floats within the funnel and the water drains therethrough. In other words, the beverage brewing substance particles or grounds are saturated with water and the resultant beverage brewing substance including the soluble particles and flavor characteristics are rinsed from the cell structure of the beverage brewing substance.
The prior art may not optimize the rinsing of the flavor characteristics from the cell structure of the beverage brewing substance since the grounds typically float up and down and are not agitated.
The present disclosure embodies a system and apparatus for causing a variable flow from the spray head to more evenly saturate the beverage brewing substance. Generally, the spray pattern produced by the spray head is fixed. In other words, the spray head is provided with a number of holes through which water is emitted. The pattern of these holes generally is not alterable during a brewing cycle. Also, generally, the flow rate is fixed. In other words, the rate at which water flows through the given diameter of the tubing connecting a reservoir to the spray head is fixed. Further, the flow rate of water into the reservoir which is used to displace water for use in the brewing process is also generally fixed. In other words, the line pressure feeding the reservoir and diameter of the conduits connected to the reservoir are fixed.
The present disclosure causes the spray pattern and flow to vary or pulse the water which results in penetrating the beverage brewing substance over a larger area. The disclosure tends to agitate or move the beverage brewing substance within the floating mass to create a more even saturation of the beverage brewing substance. As a result, a more consistent brewed product may be produced. One of the primary goals in brewing is to obtain a uniform extraction from the brewing substance. The present invention helps to maintain, optimize and provide reproducible beverage brewing.
As such, the present disclosure provides an apparatus and system for optimizing a desired extraction of brewed beverage from a beverage brewing substance.
The present disclosure also obtains a homogeneous, generally even extraction of solubles from the beverage brewing substance and therefore provides greater uniformity of desired flavor characteristics.
The present disclosure also avoids over extraction of some portions of the beverage brewing substance and under extraction in other portions of the beverage brewing substance within a given funnel during a given brewing cycle.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a system which would allow for the movement or agitation of the beverage brewing substance within the funnel without providing any control or operating elements at the user interface.